Should people be able to vote down products that are DOA

[JimKiler]

I was just reading about the PS4 and a bunch of 1 star reviews because the console is arriving DOA, possibly because of Foxconn underpaid workers sabotaging them. Sony says this is normal for a new console.

But does it really help customers to see DOA reviews dropping the score. Most of the time if it is DOA you can easily get a replacement sent and then someone can end up loving the product. Seems like DOA reviews should not give weight to the a product score. What do you think?

 

[lxskllr]

For something brand new like a PS4, they're very valuable. It lets you know there might be an inherent problem with the system. For things like ram or hds, they may or may not be valuable. It depends on the number. Replacing junk with more junk isn't very helpful, and I might want to skip the whole product.

 

[dank69]

If I spend that kind of money on a console and have all that anticipation of playing, get home, set it up and DOA? Not only is 1 star justified but I think anthrax sent to corporate office gets a pass, too.

 

[IronWing]

I don't give much weight to star ratings. The content of the reviews are much more important. A slew of DOA reports would definitely cause me to stay away from a product. I do think DOAs should warrant a one star rating but only because the star systems generally don't allow zero ratings. DOAs are a hassle for the buyer and the manufacturer should take a reputation hit for them.

Is employee sabotage the new excuse for poor engineering, poor training, rushed scheduling, or cheap parts?

 

[Newbian]

If you give the ability to place comments on products you have to expect people with negative views on a product to use it more as we have seen.

 

[waggy]

If you give the ability to place comments on products you have to expect people with negative views on a product to use it more as we have seen.

this

 

[JimKiler]

I don't give much weight to star ratings. The content of the reviews are much more important. A slew of DOA reports would definitely cause me to stay away from a product. I do think DOAs should warrant a one star rating but only because the star systems generally don't allow zero ratings. DOAs are a hassle for the buyer and the manufacturer should take a reputation hit for them.

Is employee sabotage the new excuse for poor engineering, poor training, rushed scheduling, or cheap parts?

True, another real world example then. When Lady Gaga's album was a dollar on amazon they were so many orders their servers could not allow people to download it. Yet people eventually got their download but many had to wait a day or two before they got their product. So Amazon's review was hit with many 1 star reviews yet the product was not the issue, it was the delivery or failure thereof.

 

[rudeguy]

If you give the ability to place comments on products you have to expect people with negative views on a product to use it more as we have seen.

right and in this day and age, a negative rating will get your issue addressed quickly. Its one of the easiest ways to get a seller/manufacturer's attention. One star it and wait for their reply.

It sucks but its much more effective than calling customer service.

 

[rudeguy]

True, another real world example then. When Lady Gaga's album was a dollar on amazon they were so many orders their servers could not allow people to download it. Yet people eventually got their download but many had to wait a day or two before they got their product. So Amazon's review was hit with many 1 star reviews yet the product was not the issue, it was the delivery or failure thereof.

TBH...it deserved 1 star

 

[KidNiki1]

if i use reviews to help me decide if i am going to buy something, i usually look through the highest ratings, and read them, and then the lowest ratings, and read those. if a lot of people are rating down for something that has nothing to do with the actual product, then i tend to discount those. similarly, if a lot of people are giving high marks with little actual reasons for it, i tend to discount those reviews.

i think not allowing people to rate down an item for something you personally feel isn't a good reason to rate it down does little.

it's up to the consumer to decide how they want to balance input from reviews.

 

[z1ggy]

True, another real world example then. When Lady Gaga's album was a dollar on amazon they were so many orders their servers could not allow people to download it. Yet people eventually got their download but many had to wait a day or two before they got their product. So Amazon's review was hit with many 1 star reviews yet the product was not the issue, it was the delivery or failure thereof.

...but that isn't the case here, so your example is a moot point.

Companies should be held responsible for the products they produce.

 

[dank69]

True, another real world example then. When Lady Gaga's album was a dollar on amazon they were so many orders their servers could not allow people to download it. Yet people eventually got their download but many had to wait a day or two before they got their product. So Amazon's review was hit with many 1 star reviews yet the product was not the issue, it was the delivery or failure thereof.

The difference here is that the problem for one can be attributed to the product while the other cannot.

 

[Zee]

yes

 

[Anubis]

yes however you should not be able to rate products you didnt purchase through whatever site you are reviewing on

a nuge number of poor reviews come from people who dont own the products (this is in general)

 

[MtnMan]

NIB should work, if not the product sux. Tells me that QC does not exist or the company doesn't give a damn about the consumer.

 

[Anubis]

NIB should work, if not the product sux. Tells me that QC does not exist or the company doesn't give a damn about the consumer.

you can pass QC and still get a DOA product, once it leaves the factory its out of your hands. shipping and handling issues accnt for a huge portion of DOA issues and that has nothing to do with the people who made it

 

[rudeguy]

you can pass QC and still get a DOA product, once it leaves the factory its out of your hands. shipping and handling issues accnt for a huge portion of DOA issues and that has nothing to do with the people who made it

I can tell you that I have witnessed this with my own eyes.

We ship a box full a known, working product. It goes on the Fedex truck and 2 days later there are 15% defectives. Probably had nothing to do with the huge dent that box somehow got after it left our warehouse.

Plus sometimes shit just happens.

 

[dank69]

you can pass QC and still get a DOA product, once it leaves the factory its out of your hands. shipping and handling issues accnt for a huge portion of DOA issues and that has nothing to do with the people who made it

Right, in that case it has to do with how they design the product packaging.

 

[nehalem256]

you can pass QC and still get a DOA product, once it leaves the factory its out of your hands. shipping and handling issues accnt for a huge portion of DOA issues and that has nothing to do with the people who made it

They should have used sturdier packaging and/or a reputable shipping firm.

 

[SandEagle]

if the item is sabotaged by disgruntled employees, its still up to manufacturer to ensure quality control processes are in place, especially for big ticket items like this. i would vote down.

 

[rudeguy]

if the item is sabotaged by disgruntled employees, its still up to manufacturer to ensure quality control processes are in place, especially for big ticket items like this. i would vote down.

OP said it was "possible". Well its also possible that its faulty because a leprechaun shit in the fan duct. Should you still vote down for that?

 

[zinfamous]

yes however you should not be able to rate products you didnt purchase through whatever site you are reviewing on

a nuge number of poor reviews come from people who dont own the products (this is in general)

I agree. I think Amazon should provide an individual registration number for each product that you purchase that allows you to rate and comment on that product.

Of course, that would also be a terrible idea for various reasons...

 

[rudeguy]

I agree. I think Amazon should provide an individual registration number for each product that you purchase that allows you to rate and comment on that product.

Of course, that would also be a terrible idea for various reasons...

Amazon already certifies if you bought the product from them or not.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

its a worthy metric to capture, but i do agree limiting reviews to fully functioning devices would add value.

same for app reviews. knowing it didnt work for a lot of people is super useful, but would be better to track separately so you can get a reasonable result for the intended product

 

[SandEagle]

OP said it was "possible". Well its also possible that its faulty because a leprechaun shit in the fan duct. Should you still vote down for that?

doesn't matter if a drunk cat took a piss on the system either. it should still be tested and validated before it is packaged. so yes, would still vote down.